Lenient
Merciful or tolerant; not strict or severe in enforcing rules or consequences.
adjectiveLenient
Merciful or tolerant; not strict or severe in enforcing rules or consequences.
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Imagine This
Imagine a teacher who rarely docks points for late work, offering extensions and understanding instead of harsh penalties.
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Sounds Like
LEN-ee-uhnt
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Looks Like
leniency; resembles the root lenis meaning soft
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Remember This
Lenient relates to leniency—the quality of being merciful or tolerant. Its root comes from Latin lenis meaning soft.
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Other Forms
leniencynoun
leniencenoun
lenientlyadverb
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Connect With
tolerant, merciful, indulgent, lax, permissive
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Note
Use lenient to describe people, policies, or disciplinary approaches. Distinguish it from strict or punitive actions. Related noun forms include leniency/lenience; adverb form is leniently.